Welding electrode holder



H. A. JACKSON WELDING ELECTRODE HOLDER Filed Dec. 7, 1953 glu/WMM, H. H. Jaa/15am May 28, 1935.

Patented May 28, 1935 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE 2Claima.

5 welding arc should thetongs contact with clamps holding the parts to be welded, or other metal parts, this sometimes happening in using tongs or holders of the ordinary type and retarding the speed of the welding as well as oftentimes proving dangerous to the operator by ilying sparks. Furthermore the holder is so constructed that the operator may safely lay it down or hang it up on parts that are grounded without danger oi' being injured by iiying sparks.

To this end the invention has for its object the provision of a holder or tongs that is covered by insulating material to protect the metal parts of the'tool from contacting with grounded metal.

The invention also has for its object the provision of a welding electrode holder comprising spring actuated jaws in which the spring member is insulated from the jaw members to prevent arcing by contact of the spring with grounded parts.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a welding electrode holder having means whereby the welding cable connected with the source of electricity may be clamped to the holder or may be soldered. to the holder asv may be elected by the operator so as to accommodate the tool to use by operators preferring clamping the cable or soldering the cable as may be preferred.

The invention Will be described in detail hereinafter and will be found illustrated'in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved welding electrode holder,

Figure 2 is a. side view partly broken away and shown in section,

Figures 3, 4, and l5, are cross sectional detail views on planes indicated by the lines 3 3, 4 4, and 5, respectively, and

Figure 6 is a plan view of one of theelectrode clamping plates.

In the drawing similar reference characters are used to designate corresponding parts in all of the views.

The improved welding electrode holder has jaw members I0 and II that are hingedly secured together as shown at I2, and each of said members is provided with an electrode clamping plate I3 that is preferably made of copper and brazed or otherwise intimately secured to the respective jaw members. The copper plates I3 have their meeting faces provided with a 'plurality oi' (ci. 21asi grooves that are preferably V-shape and oppositely disposed so as to clamp an electrode there in in varying positions relatively to the jaw members, one of the grooves I4 extending longitudi nally of the plates and of the holder, while a pair of grooves I5 are arranged transversely of the plates, and either or both of them may be used for clamping an electrode so that it will project laterally at right angles from the holder, and the other grooves I6 arranged at oblique angles to the groove Il and crossing, each of said grooves being adapted to receive an electrode and to hold it at an oblique angle to the sides of the jaw members, this arrangement of the grooves providing for arranging the electrode for themost convenient use of the holder as may be elected by the operator.

The hinging means for connecting the jaw members I0 and include ears that may be integral with the jaw member I0 or they may be welded to the jaw member I0 as shown at I8.

The jaw member I0 is spaced at a remote clistance from the jaw member I| at its rear end as shown at I9 and connected with the closed portion on which the plate I3 is secured by an inclined portion 20, and an expansible coil spring 2| is located between the portion I9 and the jaw member As it is desirable that the spring member 2| shall be insulated from the jaw members I0 and insulating washers 22 are provided to sustain the thrust of the ends of the spring 2|, and said washers 22 are provided with openings 23 and reduced extensions 24 to receive pins 25 'that are welded or otherwise secured to or integral with the respective jaw members I0 and I On the outer sides of the jaw members I0 and are secured channeled insulating members 26 and 21, respectively, and secured to the jaw members by means of screws 28 that are countervsunk in the insulating members 26 .and 2l so that their heads are spaced inwardly of the outer surface of' the insulating member to' prevent danger of arcing by contact of one of said screws with a grounded part.

The rear extremity of the jaw member I I is provided with a circular enlargement 29 and secured thereto by welding or integral therewith `is a socket 3D to receive the end of the electric cable for supplying the welding current to the holder. ly extending arcuate clamp member 3|, and 32 designates a mating clampmember that is se- `curable to the clamp member 3| by means of a bolt or other securingmeans 33. By this con- Socket 30 is provided with a rearward- Y struction the operator may elect whether he wishes to secure the welding cable in the socket 3@ by means or the clampmembers 3i, 32, and 33, or to secure the'welding cable in the socket 3d by soldering it therein, some operators preferring theone method, and other operators preferring the other.

Secured to the enlargement 28 and-enclosing the socket member il@ sindv clamp members 3i, 32, and 33, is a tubular cover 3d of insulating material and secured in position by means of a screw '35 engaging in a threaded opening Se in seid enlargement 2S. The tubular member 8l forms the handle of the tool andby providing the insulation 86 in conjunction with the insulat ing members 26 and 2l, and by insulating the spring 2i by means of the insulating washers 22, it will be apparent' that danger of short circuitlng the current through tongs or holder and parts thereof, or arcing, is eliminated, thus adding to the safety of the operator in manipulating the implement.

What I claim iszl. A welding electrode holder, comprising niv otaliy connected jaw members having means to nooaree hold an electrode therebetween, channeled mem bers of electrical insulating material secured to said :law members, the legs of the channeled members overhanging the jaw members to per.- tially surround the metallic parts of thejaw members to more adequately insulate such metallic perts, a coil spring 'normally holding the jaw members in electrode holding position, and an insulatinglwasher mounted on each jaw member and terminally engaging said spring.

2. A welding electrode holder, comprising pivotally connected jaw members having means to i vof the jaw members to more adequately insulate such metallic parts, an electric conductor securing member electrically connected with one ot the jaw members, and a tubular handle member bf electrical insulating material removably se-= cured to said jaw member and enclosing seid conductor securing member.

` HONEL A, mensen 

